do clown loaches eat shrimp

To Eat or Not to Eat Can Clown Loaches and Shrimp Coexist in an Aquarium?

As an aquarium hobbyist, I’ve always loved the unique look and playful personality of clown loaches. But I also enjoy keeping colorful dwarf shrimp in my community tank. This led me to wonder – will clown loaches view my shrimp as tankmates or snacks?

In this article I’ll share my research to uncover whether these popular fish can live peacefully with shrimp or if they should be kept separate.

The Clown Loach’s Diet in the Wild

To understand a fish’s behavior in captivity, it’s helpful to consider their natural diet.

In the wild, clown loaches inhabit fast-moving freshwater streams and rivers in Indonesia and Borneo. Using their downturned mouths, they feed on small invertebrates like insects, worms, and mollusks living among the riverbed debris.

Juvenile clown loaches mostly eat microscopic organisms like daphnia and copepods. But as they mature, they transition to larger foods, including snails, crustaceans, and occasional small fish.

So in their native environment, clown loaches do consume tiny critters like shrimp. However, they tend to target slower moving bottom dwellers over swift swimming shrimp in the open water.

Factors Influencing the Clown Loach’s Appetite for Shrimp

In an aquarium, whether a clown loach will prey on shrimp depends on several variables:

• The loach’s age – Younger, smaller clown loaches are more likely to view adult dwarf shrimp as food. Adult loaches over 6 inches long pose less of a threat.

• The shrimp’s size – Large ghost or bamboo shrimp are safer choices than tiny varieties like cherry shrimp for loach tanks.

• Tank space – In a heavily planted, decorated tank with rock caves, shrimp have more places to hide and replicate their natural habitat.

• Tankmates – Keeping clown loaches well-fed with ample protein-rich foods helps curb any interest in shrimp as food.

• The loach’s personality – Some individual loaches exhibit more predatory tendencies than others, despite ideal conditions.

Experimenting with Clown Loaches and Shrimp

When researching this article, I asked shrimp and clown loach owners to share their experiences housing the two species together. Here were some of their observations:

• Juvenile clown loaches under 3 inches ingested most small shrimp introduced to tanks, especially active varieties like cherry shrimp. Adults over 5 inches showed less interest.

• Well-fed clown loaches were less likely to hunt shrimp tankmates than those fed less frequently. Supplementing protein helped curb shrimp predation.

• In heavily planted tanks with rock caves and driftwood, shrimp could evade interested loaches more successfully versus sparse tanks.

• Ghost shrimp lasted longer than delicate cherry shrimp when housed with clown loaches but still slowly declined in numbers over time.

• Adding clown loaches to established shrimp colonies caused more heavy losses than adding shrimp to an existing clown loach tank. The loaches seemed to view new additions as food.

• Individual loach personality played a large role, with some fixating on shrimp as prey more intensely than others did.

Best Practices for Housing Clown Loaches and Shrimp

While risky, experienced aquarists had success mixing these species using certain best practices:

• Choose larger ghost, bamboo, or vampire shrimp over smaller varieties. Give adults time to breed and sustain numbers before adding loaches.

• Introduce clown loaches after shrimp have established breeding colonies in planted tanks with plenty of hiding spots.

• Feed a high protein, varied clown loach diet including live foods like worms along with shrimp pellets to decrease foraging.

• Start with just one or two large, well-fed clown loaches and monitor their behavior. Remove any fixated on hunting shrimp.

• Provide ample algae and biofilm in the tank for shrimp to graze safely away from the bottom where loaches forage.

• Ensure tank has peaceful fish unlikely to compete with loaches for live foods like shrimp.

• Maintain pristine water quality and test parameters. Shrimp are more vulnerable when stressed.

While cohabitation requires work, many hobbyists find the mix rewarding when done carefully. But shrimp losses remain likely over time.

Safest Options for Housing Clown Loaches

If you want to fully ensure shrimp safety, here are some compatible clown loach tankmates:

• Bottom feeders – Corydoras catfish, pygmy corys, otocinclus, plecos

• Schooling fish – Tetras, rasboras, danios, small barbs, white cloud minnows

• Snails – Nerite, mystery, trumpet snails help eat algae

Clown loaches thrive most when kept in small schools with compatible tankmates. Just avoid fin-nipping species that may damage their long fins.

The Verdict on Keeping Clown Loaches and Shrimp

While clown loaches won’t actively hunt down every shrimp in a tank, their natural behaviors pose some risk. Combining clown loaches and shrimp requires close monitoring and planning to sustain shrimp populations long-term.

To maximize compatibility, choose larger shrimp species, feed loaches well, and provide ample vegetation and hiding spots in a spacious tank. Even then, be prepared to remove any problem loaches that become shrimp-fixated.

With prudence and proper care, clown loaches and shrimp can coexist in tanks. But their appetites mean some losses should be expected over time. Knowing these insights allows you to make the most informed choices for your tank’s inhabitants.

With appropriate precautions, both these captivating freshwater species can thrive together. As an aquarist, part of the fun lies in observing their interactions and behaviors when cohabitating.